Don't have an account?

Favorite Schools

Favorite Teams

Forks Township mother forms breastfeeding support group

Easton breastfeeding group.JPG

Eight-week-old, Mia Bella Russell lies in a stroller near her mother, Jamie Russell, of Upper Nazareth Township, while nurse Samantha Patterson of Riegelsville listens to instructor Liz Chang, as she holds her son, Christopher, on Tuesday at the Easton Area Community Center.
(Express-Times Photo | SUE BEYER)

• The Lehigh Valley Breastfeeding Moms Group meets from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at the Easton Area Community Center, 901 Washington St., Easton.

• Members should go to the Cops and Kids reading room, located in the back of the center, and park in the private lot. The group meetings are free and open to the public.

• For more information, call Samantha Patterson, a nurse with the Bethlehem Health Bureau, at 610-997-7918.

When Liz Chang gave birth to her son more than two years ago, she was overwhelmed and struggled to find a local support group.

So the Forks Township woman invited neighbors who were first-time moms into her home to talk about breastfeeding issues. As discussions grew about how to properly breastfeed twins or get an infant to latch on properly, Chang had a desire to help a broader audience.

She went on to become a certified lactation counselor with the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice, and became ​the community co-chairwoman of the Lehigh Valley Breastfeeding Coalition.

In February 2013, she formed the Lehigh Valley Breastfeeding Moms Group, which includes a handful of women who meet Tuesdays biweekly at the Easton Area Community Center, 901 Washington St.

The group, which is bilingual in English and Spanish, is seeking more members.

“It is so important for mothers to be connected with other nursing mothers. When connected, they can help each other, especially when breastfeeding becomes difficult," Chang said. "If they are not connected, they can feel lost because not many people do really understand breastfeeding-unique issues.

"My passion is to extend a helping hand, to listen, to encourage and to connect the mom with other moms. I’m not here just to talk about breastfeeding, but to also help solve their breastfeeding problems," she said.

Chang said some first-time mothers have reached out to her asking how to use a breast pump or how to safely refrigerate and store breast milk. Others do not know much about how to manage overproduction, she said.

“Every mom needs support,” Chang said. “I can tell you story after story.”

Some topics Chang currently has tackled with the group include what happens when a baby is crying and fussing due to latch issues, baby instincts, best positions to feed a baby, sore nipples, breast-pump instructions and how to plan for returning to work.

There is plenty of question-and-answer time and Chang later follows up through social media.

Chang said experts often say “breast is best” because research supports what is biologically created must be good for both infant and mother. She also is a proponent of breastfeeding in public, saying new laws support breastfeeding in public and protect breastfeeding mothers from adverse reactions.

Chang was breastfed by her own mother and continues to breastfeed her son, Christopher, now 29 months.

“He understands that you’re there; he feels the warmth of your skin,” Chang described about breastfeeding. “He hears your voice. He understands if you are happy, if you are upset. All those connections happen with the transfer of the milk.”

Jamie Russell, of Upper Nazareth Township, recently joined the group after giving birth to her daughter, Mia Bella Russell, now 2 months. She said mothers becoming part of the network will walk away with confidence.

“It really encouraged me to just keep going. It’s one of the hardest jobs, but it’s just so rewarding,” she said about breastfeeding. “Just to know my milk is making her thrive.”

Prior to giving birth, Chang worked full time in corporate America and said she also relates to working mothers. Her goal is to help ease them back into the workplace while balancing motherhood.

“Here, we talk about all those things,” she said. “And how we can better connect.”